Very close by is the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the site of the first manned heavier-than-air powered controlled flight. Entrance fee is $4.00/person.
In Nags Head, 5.6 miles south, you'll find Jockey's Ridge, the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States.
Going further, about 60 miles south, is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, one of the most striking lighthouses in the United States.